Experts excited by brain 'wonder-drug'

[nitpicker]

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39641123

Experts excited by brain 'wonder-drug'

By James Gallagher
Health and science reporter, BBC News website

20 April 2017

From the section Health

Scientists hope they have found a drug to stop all neurodegenerative brain diseases, including dementia. In 2013, a UK Medical Research Council team stopped brain cells dying in an animal for the first time, creating headline news around the world. But the compound used was unsuitable for people, as it caused organ damage. Now two drugs have been found that should have the same protective effect on the brain and are already safely used in people.
(snip)

Prof Mallucci told the BBC News website: "Both were very highly protective and prevented memory deficits, paralysis and dysfunction of brain cells." The best known drug of the pair is trazodone, which is already taken by patients with depression. The other, DBM, is being tested in cancer patients.

Prof Mallucci said: "It's time for clinical trials to see if there's similar effects in people and put our money where our mouth is. We're very unlikely to cure them completely, but if you arrest the progression you change Alzheimer's disease into something completely different so it becomes liveable with."

But, although trazodone is a current medication, she added: "As a professional, a doctor and a scientists, I must advise people to wait for the results."

The study was published in the journal Brain.
(snip)

[TexasProgresive]

1. "stopped brain cells dying" but does it prevent amyloid plaques in the brain?

[CanSocDem]

2. What is cannabis, Alex!! (eom)

[WePurrsevere]

3. This sounds promising. "I must advise people to wait for the results"...

While I understand a doctor/scientist being cautious if you or a loved one has been recently DXd with a neurodegenerative brain disease, like Alz, there might not be the luxury of time to wait for clinical results. Especially if the disease is progressive and will kill your mind and body if you don't try something, you're going to be willing to take a chance, and even more so with already existing drugs, on the chance that they might help stop or slow that progression. "Desperate times, call for desperate measures."